Boat Charter Must Haves

By Carol King

As the co-owner of King Yacht Charters, she's been on dozens of boating vacations, and over time has developed this comprehensive list of tried-and-true items to pack. Here's the checklist of a chartering professional. Pack up and let's go!

Brian Munroe and Lynn Bamberger take the dinghy ashore at Cambridge Cay in the Exumas, Bahamas. The photograph, a finalist in our photo contest, was taken by James Forsyth of El Cajon, CA.

In our work as charter brokers and flotilla leaders, my husband Peter and I have organized and lead 55 flotilla charters all over the world for our own company, and for magazines. Our trips range from the adventurous to the luxurious, and everything in between. No matter what kind of charter it is, though, and how many times I pack for a boating trip, I still have to think about what the next adventure entails – what the weather will be like, what are the ports of call, what unique events are planned. But the essentials remain the same. We use a rolling duffel bag that's fully collapsible for ease of storage on the boat, and I always bring the following:

Clothing

Two sarongs. They work as cover-ups, beach towel, skirts, or a tablecloth!

Miscellaneous

My ditty bag with extra line, a Leatherman or folding knife, more clothespins

A small notebook for notes about the trip

Small backpack for going ashore

Security pouch for wearing under a shirt

Copies of our passports, kept separately

PADI or other diving credential

Small alarm clock

Rip-stop bag (folds small) for carrying groceries or beach stuff

Pocket packs of tissues, and antiseptic sachets for wiping hands, to keep in your backpack

Tiny bottle of iodine for purifying water

Net bag to keep your snorkel gear separate in the lazarette, easy to grab, and easy to carry in the dinghy.

Before You Leave

Take credit cards and ATM cards; call your credit-card issuer to alert them that you'll be in a different location, or when they see foreign charges, they may think someone has stolen your card, and suspend it.

Pack light, and pack everything in zip-lock bags in case your duffel is left on the runway in the rain, or a container of liquid leaks, or there's an unexpected leak in the boat. Also, everything stays neatly folded even if you or airport-security rummages through your bag.

Make sure you leave your air and travel schedule with someone at home.

Carol and Peter King own King Yacht Charters in Connecticut, which is BoatUS's trusted travel partner. BoatUS members planning to charter a boat almost anywhere in the world can obtain a five percent discount on that charter through King Yacht Charters. Call 1-800-477-4427 or visit www.BoatUS.com/Travel

Taking the family on a charter boat trip with the BoatUS floatilla through the British Virgin Islands

A Tip On Sharing Expenses

When a group of friends gets together on a charter, it's easy for finances to get confusing. Who pays for what? Who's turn is it to cover dinner? Last night we ate at a cheap place, but tonight's place is more expensive; how should we handle this so everyone pays their fair share? Here's an easy way to sort it out.

On Day One, create a "boat bank" and have everyone on your charter boat put $200 into it. It's a good idea to keep this money in a separate wallet for this purpose. One person volunteers to handle the money, keep it separate from his or her own, and pay for absolutely everything that is shared — cabs, mooring fees, dinners, tips, extra provisions picked up along the way, dockage, you name it. When the bank runs low, the "pursor" asks everyone for another $100 (or whatever seems right). When someone other than the purser pays for something that's for everyone, he or she gets reimbursed from the boat bank. If one person tires of being purser, the responsibility can be shared. At the end of the trip, whatever the bank has left is divided equally. Simple. Fair. No misunderstandings. No discussing the dinner bill.